Veteran Spanish singer-songwriter Julio Iglesias is currently facing s*xual assault allegations from two former female employees, according to their testimonies to Spanish news outlet elDiario.es and its U.S. counterpart Univision.
Both women were employed by Iglesias, 82, at his homes in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Lyford Cay, the Bahamas and the alleged assaults reportedly took place in 2021.
They have accused the musician of “normalizing abuse” and creating a toxic, threatening, coercive, and violent working environment. Spanish law enforcement is currently investigating the accusations based on a legal complaint filed by the two women on January 5.
So far, neither Julio Iglesias nor his wife, Miranda Rijnsburger, has responded to the scandal. Rijnsburger, 60, is a former Dutch model, singer, philanthropist, and the mother of Iglesias’ five children.
According to the BBC, Julio’s legal team has also not addressed the matter yet. However, a female manager of one of his Caribbean homes has dubbed the accusations “nonsense.”
All about Julio Iglesias’ personal life
Julio Iglesias and Miranda Rijnsburger crossed paths at the Jakarta airport in Indonesia in 1990 and began dating two years later. According to Hola!, it was love at first sight despite their 22-year age gap.
After nearly two decades of dating, the couple tied the knot in August 2010. They share three sons and two daughters. Iglesias and Rijnsburger welcomed their firstborn, Miguel Alejandro, in September 1997, followed by Rodrigo in April 1999.
Twins, Victoria and Cristina, arrived in May 2001. Six years later, the pair welcomed their fifth and final child, Guillermo.
Julio Iglesias’ daughters are now models and have walked the red carpet together at the 2019 Met Gala wearing custom-made Oscar de la Renta gowns. Meanwhile, Miguel, too, walked the runway for Prada at the Madrid Fashion Week.
Miranda Rijnsburger, for her part, was born in Leimuiden, Netherlands, in October 1965. She appeared on the covers of leading fashion magazines across Europe in the 1980s and 1990s. Her debut album, Mi Encuentro, was released in 2014.
Six years ago, the five Iglesias siblings posed for the cover of Hola! to mark its 75th anniversary along with their mother.
Over the years, the Starry Night artist has celebrated his wife and kids on their wedding anniversaries and birthdays via social media.
While the family divides their time between Miami, USA and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, they enjoy spending every summer at their estate in Ojen, near Marbella, Spain.
During a past interview with Hola! Julio Iglesias gave a shoutout to his beautiful, loving, and caring wife.
“If Miranda hadn’t come into my life, my mind wouldn’t be as focused on the future as it is right now — it would be more focused on the present, and very likely, more and more in the past,” the singer noted.
Before Miranda Rijnsburger, Julio Iglesias was married to Filipino-Spanish socialite and TV personality Isabel Preysler, 74. They were together for eight years until their divorce in 1979. They shared three children: Chabeli, 54, Julio Jr, 52, and Enrique, 50.
Both Julio Jr and Enrique Iglesias followed in the footsteps of their dad and pursued respective music careers. The latter is one of the most popular Spanish singer-songwriters in the world. In contrast, Chabeli is a journalist.
Besides the recent scandal, Julio Iglesias was previously involved in a paternity controversy in 2019. At the time, a man named Javier Sanchez claimed the Momento singer was his father, and he was conceived when Iglesias reportedly had an affair with his mother and Portuguese dancer, Maria Edite Santos, in 1975.
While a judge initially ruled in favor of the plaintiff, the verdict was later overturned by the Supreme Court.
Reviewing the circumstances surrounding the recent assault allegations against Julio Iglesias
Univision and elDiario.es conducted a three-year-long investigation before publishing a joint report earlier this week, accusing Julio Iglesias of s*xual misconduct. According to the publications, their case is backed by evidence, such as photos, phone records, texts, and medical reports.
The identities of both accusers remain undisclosed. However, for the sake of the report, they have been called Rebecca, a Dominican domestic worker, and Laura, a Venezuelan physical therapist.
The former claimed that Iglesias Sr. “used me almost every night,” which made her feel “like an object, like a slave.” Rebecca, 26, has accused Julio of touching her without consent and seemingly forcing her to engage in a threesome with a fellow female employee. Other instances of abuse, including slapping of the face and genitalia, were also cited.
Meanwhile, Laura claimed the Tango artist kissed her without consent, gr*ped her breasts, fat-shamed her, controlled her food intake, and threatened to fire her on multiple occasions if she failed to obey him. The woman also claimed others like her were on the receiving end of Julio Iglesias’ unwanted s*xual advances.
“There were girls who couldn’t say no. And he did what he wanted with them,” Laura stated.
The joint report also has testimonies from other former employees of the singer who have accused him of creating a “threatening, highly stressful” working environment.
The award-winning musician is now being investigated for s*xual misconduct and human trafficking.
Meanwhile, he has received a wave of support. His close friend, Jaime Penafiel, called the allegations “absolute lies,” while journalist Miguel Angel Pastor noted there was no suggestion that Iglesias ever committed “this kind of act.”
Conservative Madrid leader Isabel Diaz Ayuso has also extended her support for Julio Iglesias.
“The Madrid region will never contribute to the vilifying of artists and even less so to that of the most universal of all singers: Julio Iglesias,” the message on social media read.
Meanwhile, liberal leader Ione Belarra called out the “silence” of “famous assailants” who remain “protected” by their money and fame. Likewise, Spain’s equality minister Ana Redondo wrote that she expects the accusations would be investigated “all the way,” adding, “when there is no consent, there is assault.”
Julio Iglesias’ biographer Ignacio Peyro and publisher Libros del Astroide extended their “support and solidarity for the victims,” while citing they would update the musician’s biography with the latest allegations.
Edited by Pallavi K